Internal combustion engine



Oct. 3, 1933. A. J. MEYER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 3. 1931 w Fa m ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 3, 1933 1,939,207 I INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Andre J. Meyer, Detroit, Mich.",a ssignor to'Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

' V corporation of Virginia Application December 3, 1931. Serial No. 578,719

4 Claims. (01. 123 -81) This invention relates to internal combustion engines and refers more particularly to engines known as the sleeve valve type wherein sleeve valve means associated with an engine cylinder is or are operated in controlling the valve fun'ctionsof' the engine, the sleeve valve means moving between the surrounding cylinder and a depending or re-entrant portion of a'cylinder head structure. 7 Heretofore difliculty has been experienced in providing a satisfactory means for sealing the combustion chamber at the cylinder head against leakage of pressure and gases incident to combustion of fuel in the engine combustion chamber. It is an object of my invention to provide improved means for overcoming the aforesaid difficulties. It is a further object of my invention to provide simple and effective means capable of long life for efiiciently sealing the combustion 0; chamber between the cylinder head and sleeve valve means against leakage of the type aforesaid, my invention utilizing the pressure developed in the combustion chamber for effecting the desired gas tight seal.

' Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as this specification progresses reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and. in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view through a 30 typical engine cylinder illustrating my improved sealing device,

Fig. 2 is a detail plan View of the yielding sealing ring, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the sealing ring in association with the cylinder head.

Referring to the drawing I have illustrated my invention with an engine of the sleeve valve type and more specifically the type of sleeve valve engine generally known as the Burt-McCollum engine in which a single sleeve valve associated within cylinder 11 is given a combined axial reciprocation and oscillation in moving the intake and exhaust ports 12 and 13 respectively into porting relation with the cylinder fuel mixture or gas intake ports 14 and cylinder. exhaust ports 15 respectively. Any suitable well known means may be utilized for moving the sleeve valve 10 as 0 aforesaid. The usual piston 16 operates within sleevevalve 10, the piston being actuated in the usual manner by the pressure of fuel burnedin provided by the lower the combustion chamber 17 wall 18 of the cylinder head structure 20 having a. cylindrical portion 21 depending within the upper end 'of cylinder ll'and spaced therefrom to receive the upper end of the sleeve valve 10.

The cylinder portion 21 of the cylinder head structure is provided with one or more annular grooves 22 opening radially outwardly toward the sleeve valvelll. W

. In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown two axially spaced grooves 22. although the description will be hereinafter limited to one groove and its associated parts as any number of similarly constructed and similarly functioning sealing devices maybe used. The groove 22 receives the resilient expansible metallic ring or sealing element 23 preferably split transversely at 24 to provide an overlap joint. The ring 23 has an outer cylindrical surface 24. adapted to be urged radially outwardly into sealing contact with the sleeve valve 10 not 7 only by reason of the resiliency of the ring itself but also by reason of the gas pressure developed in the combustion chamber 17. Thus the cylinder head portion 21 is preferably formed to provide a small amount of clearance 25 with the sleeve valve whereby to provide means for admitting or conducting gas pressure from the combustion chamber 17 upwardly around the lower portion of the cylinder head and against the outer lower wall 26 of the sealing ring which overhangs the clearance space 25. The gas pressure unseating Q the sealing ring 23 forces the ring tightly against the upper wall 27 of groove 22 providing a small amount of clearance between the lower wall 28 of groove 22 and the lower wall 29 of sealing ring 23. Thus the gas pressure is admitted rearwardly of ring 23 and acts to radially expand the ring by reason of joint 24 into tight sealing engagement with V sleeve 10 and thereby prevent escape of gases and loss of pressure between the combustion chamber and cylinder head.

In order to facilitate the passage of the gas pressure rearwardly of the resilient ring and to provide a surface in the vicinity of clearance space 25 against which the expansiveforce of the gas pressure may act, I preferably form the associated walls 28 and 29 respectively with the complementary stepped portions 30 31 as best illustrated in 3. .By reason of such construction a wall 31 is provided adjacent gas pressure conduit or clearance 25which facilitates the pressure expanding action of the sealing ring as aforesaid.

Various modifications and alterations may be made within the scope of myinvention and it is not my desire to limit my invention to the exact embodiments illustrated in the drawing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a cylinder, sleeve valve means within the cylinder, a cylinder head within the sleeve valve means, said cylinder head having an annular groove opening to said sleeve valve means, a yielding sealing. member in said groove, said member having a lower face constructed for initial exposure to the explosion pressure whereby to urge same outwardly of the cylinder within the groove to provide a passage for conducting the explosion pressure of the gases in the engine combustion chamber toward the rear of said sealing member.

2. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a cylinder, sleeve valve means within the cylinder, a cylinder head within the sleeve valve means, said cylinder head having an annular groove opening to said sleeve valve means, a yielding sealing member in said groove, said sealing member extending radially beyond said cylinder head groove whereby said explosion pressure tends to move said ring outwardly of the cylinder within said groove to expose substantially the whole underside of said ring .to the explosion pressure for urging the ring into gas sealing engagement with the groove, said ring and groove cooperating to provide a passage whereby to conduct said explosion pressure toward the rear of said sealing member, said explosion pressure urging said ring outwardly into gas sealing engagement with said sleeve valve means.

3. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a

cylinder, sleeve valve means within the cylinder, a cylinder head within the sleeve valve means, said cylinder head having an annular groove opening to said sleeve valve means, a yielding sealing member in said groove, said groove and sealing member having complementary stepped annular portions relatively spaced when subjected to explosion pressure whereby to conduct said explosion pressure toward the rear of said sealing member and outwardly of the cylinder 'within the groove in the rear of said ring, said explosion pressure "urging said ring outwardly into gas sealing engagement with said sleeve valve means.

4. In an engine of the sleeve valve type, a cylinder, sleeve valve means within the cylinder, a cylinder head within the sleeve valve means, said cylinder head having an annular groove opening to said sleeve valve means, a yielding sealing member in said groove, said groove having the outer edge of the lower wall positioned below the inner edge of said wall whereby to facilitate gas pressure passage rearwardly of said ring, said sealing member having a stepped underside: portion cooperating with the lower wall ofrthe groove to provide a stepped passage on subjecting said sealing member to the explosion pressure whereby to conduct said explosion pressure to the rear of the sealing member for urging the same into gas sealing engagement with said sleeve valve means.

' ANDRE J. MEYER. 

